Toilet ventilator



Feb. 11, R. Q HANFORD TOILET VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 1s, 193e f 2 sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 11, R. Q HANFQRD TOILET VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 18, 19158 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Vlfmx @W7/WA Patented Feb. ll, 1941 SATES 1 Claim.

This invention relates to Ventilating apparatus for toilet bowls and particularly to that type of such apparatus which removes the noisome gases from the bowl and conveys them 4to a point `at some distance therefrom as to a soilpipe or directly to atmosphere outside the enclosure'in which the toilet is situated.

Ventilatore of this rtype heretofore employed have been open to various objections. In some cases a toilet of special construction is required making impossible the installation of the device on toilets already in use or of current design. In other cases special parts are necessary to replace parts of the 4toilet ordinarily used, or eX- tensive alterations in the toilet or wallsy of the room are required, making the application of the device costly or diicult. In still `other cases the gases removed from the toilet bowl are `given a treatment and then returned to the same room, thereby subjecting the user to the objectionable necessity of breathing such gases.

It is an object of this invention to provide a Ventilating apparatus which .overcomes the objections to previous apparatus, is simple in construction, efcient in operation, and adapted to remove the gases from the toilet bowl and convey them to a point outside the enclosure in which the toilet is situated.

Another object is to provide a Ventilating apparatus capable of being conveniently and economically attached by the average householder to the common standard toilet xture already in service without substitution of parts, or'the use of special tools or special skill.

Another object is to provide a ventilator of the type described which utilizes for its support and operation the existing elements of the toilet such as bowl, hinge bolts and seat without sub- `stitution or appreciable alteration thereof.

Another object is to provide a Ventilating apparatus in which the principal operating parts namely, suction chamber, exhaust fan and drive motor are constructed or assembled as a unitary structure capable `of being attached to the bowl as a unit and supported by the existing toilet structure.

Another object is to provide a simple and efcient means for making and breaking the electrical circuit to the motor of the ventilator and to construct this means so that it is automatically actuated by the weight of a person occupying the seat and so that the circuit will be made or broken positively regardless of looseness of ordinary amount in the bolts supporting the seat hinge.

(Cl. l1--213) Other objects and features of novelty will rappear as I proceed with the description of the embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan View of a preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with the switch lever omitted.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the apparatus attached to a `standard toilet fixture.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view corresponding to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View taken in section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a partial view on a larger scale of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4 showing the on and off positions `of the switch operating lever.

Fig. 7 is a partial view showing a modified form of switch operating lever.

In the drawings (see particularly Fig. 4) I have illustrated at lil a toilet bowl of common design and associated therewith the usual flushing tank Il connected to the bowl by L-shaped pipe connection I2. The upper rear part of the bowl is formed with a flange I3 provided with a pair of holes for receiving hing-e bolts ill which are provided with shoulder portions i 5 and clamp nuts I6 by means of which they may be rmly secured to the bowl ange I3. The upper ends of hinge bolts I4 are perforated to receive the ends of hinge pin Il. Pivotally supported on pin Il are two hinge brackets i8 secured to the underside of the rear portion of a seat i9 in a manner to provide a space between the seat and bowl I0. The forward end of seat IS is similarly spaced from the bowl by rubber pads 2l.

The lparts just described are usually to be found in common standard toilet xtures and are ordinarily arranged in substantially the form illustrated.

For use with such a toilet iiXture and other typesy of iixtures to which it is adapted I provide a Ventilating attachment comprising primarily a unitary vstructure including a suction chamber, a suction ian and an electric motor for driving the ian, all arranged to be assembled and attached as a unit to the toilet fixture and utilizing for its support and operation the ex isting parts of the Xture without substitution or alteration.

Referring again to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1 to 5, I provide my Ventilating attachment with a hollow suction chamber 22 having a flattened forward portion 23 of such thickness as to fit in the space 20 between the seat I9 and bowl I0 and of such width as to lie between hinge bolts I4, terminating in a narrow rectangular intake opening |23 near the inner side of the rim of bowl I0. The rearward portion of the chamber is tapered. to join a tubular portion 24 terminating in an enlarged cylindrical casing 25 provided with. an outlet opening 26. Attached to chamber 22 is an electric motor 21 whose housing is provided with a flange 28 through which screws 29 extend into threaded holes in ears |29 integral with chamber 22 for the purpose of securing the motor to the chamber. Within the cylindrical casing portion 25 of chamber 22 and mounted upon the end of the shaft of the electric motor is a centrifugal fan 39 secured to the shaft by screw 3l. Wires 32 may be used to connect the motor to an electric circuit and when so connected the motor drives the fan in the proper direction to draw air in through the central opening of the cylindrical casing 25 and drive air out through the opening 26.

- For fastening the above described uni-t consisting of chamber, fan and motor to the toilet, the chamber 22 is provided with a pair of ears 33 perforated to receive the hinge bolts I4. The under surface of the ears is substantially flush with the under surface of the chamber so that when the unit is in place it may be clamped securely by the bolts I4 and nuts I6 to the upper surface of bowl I0, and the ears are made relatively thin so they may lie underneath flanges I5 of bolts I4 without harmfully altering the position of the latter.

A conduit 34 is attached by suitable means to the apparatus .to connect the opening 26 to a point outside .the enclosure in which the toilet is situated, as through the wall 35, so as to convey the Aair drawn from the bowl by fan 3U -to a remote point.

In order to actuate the motor 2'I at the desired times a switch 36 is provided, mounted in the illustration on the housing of .the motor, but which may be mounted in any convenient manner. This switch is provided with a plunger 3'I urged outward by spring 38 and is arranged to be actuated by a lever 39 secured to seat I9 by screws `4i) or the like and having an end portion extending laterally to form a plate 4I, the plate 4I havmg a relatively large area to assure positive engagement with plunger 31.

In order to cause the switch to remain open when the seat is unoccupied :the latter is provided at its forward end with a spring holder 42 secured tothe seat by screws 43 and holding one end of a splral compression spring 44 for :the purpose of raising the seat above its lowenmost position. When the seat is thus raised lever 39 is lowered sufciently to permit spring 38 `to open the switch contacts. When the seat is occupied .the spring 44 is .compressed permitting the seat to occu-py its lowermost position and raise the end of lever 39 suniciently to close .the switch.

Owing tothe proximity of `the free end of lever 39 to the hinge pin II, a considerable movement of .the lforward end of seat I9 results in a relatively small movement of the free end of the lever. Therefore I 4arrange the free end of lever 39 in a substantially horizontal plane so :that its movement is primarily vertical in order `to minimize the effect of such sidewise -movement of the seat as may be caused by looseness of the bolts I 4 such as frequently occurs. Such looseness ordinarily results in much greater sidewise movement of the seat than vertical movement. A switch operated by horizontal movement would, under such conditions, be very uncertain in its action whereas with my arrangement this difliculty is largely avoided. It should also be noted that lever 39 is placed in such an angular position that when the seat is raised degrees to its inoperative position, the end of the lever` easily cle-ars the enlarged portion of the bowl I0.

A modified form of lever is shown at 45 in Fig. 7. In this form the lever is shaped so as to bring the operating or free end .of the lever into a substantially horizontal plane through the center of the hinge pin II; In this form the effect of lateral lo'oseness in the bolts I 4 is practically entirely absent thus facilitating the operation of the switch under all conditions. In addition, when the seat is raised to its vertical position the free end of the lever swings forward to a lesser extent and therefore obviates to a greater degree the possibility of interferring with the outwardly tapered portion of the bowl.

From the above description it will be seen that the invention, in accomplishing the objects stated, provides a single unitary structure consisting of a suction chamber, exhaust fan and motor which may beV readily handled as one piece and installed without alteration of the existing toilet fixture in any way whatever and further provides positive switch means which is simple, durable and easy .to install.

Although in the preferred lform of the invention illustrated the motor housing is separate from the .exhaust chamber and the latter chamber includes the fan casing, it is within the broader aspects of the invention, and may under certain circumstances be preferred, to vform the supporting structure -for all three of Athese elements in one piece with openings for insertion of the working par-ts, or to fatt-ach them to each other at places other :than the one shown, lthere being only the requirement that when assembled these elements form a closely c-oupled unied structure whose principal support is provided by the toilet Ibowl and seat hinge bolts.

As an alternative to the use of spring 44 for maintaining seat I9 raised and switch 36 open when the seat is unoccupied, the spring 38 of the switch may be rmade sufficiently strong to overcome the weight of seat I9 and, acting through plunger 31 and lever 39 raise .the seat above its normal downward position and open the switch 36. The weight of a person on :the seat would then overcome spring and close the switch.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In toilet Ventilating apparatus adapted for attachment to a standard :toilet xture, a rigid onepiece hollow suction chamber having a attened forward portion of less thickness than the space between the seat and the bowl of a standard toilet fixture and of such width as .to lie between the toilet seat hinge bolts, said forward portion terminating in a narrow rectangular opening adjacent the upper rear edge of .the bowl, said chamber tapering :at its rear portion .to an enlarged tubular section which extends laterally and .terminates centrally :of an enlarged vertically disposed cylindrical casing, said casing having one side open and having an outlet opening arranged tangentially of said cylindrical casing, a centrifugal fan within said casing, a motor for driving said fan, a housing for said motor provided with a flange adapted to close the open attached .to the toilet seat and arranged to actuate said switch when the seat is occupied, and an exhaust conduit connected to said tangentially arranged outlet opening of said cylindrical casing and extending to a `point remote from the 5 toilet.

RAYMOND C. HANFORD. 

